9alpha-halo-a-norprogesterones



United States Patent 9m-HALO-A-NORPROGESTERONES Frank L. Weisenborn, Middlebush, NJ., assignor to Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Virginia No Drawing. Filed July 28, 19 59, Ser. No. 829,966

9 Claims. (Cl. 260-348) if. R I ,m or a wherein R is hydrogen, R' is ,B-hydroxy, or together R and R is keto (0:), and X is halogen. These final products are physiologically active substances which possess anti-androgenic activity and thus are useful in inhibiting or counteracting the efiects of :androgens, such as testosterone. The final products of this invention can therefore be used in the treatment of hyperandrogenic acne (the acne condition resulting from the over abundance of an androgen, such as testosterone), for which purpose they are administered either topically or systematically (e.g., subcutaneously) being formulated for such administration in conventional ointments or injectable liquid carriers.

These final products are prepared, in accordance with the processes of this invention by a series of steps, the first of which comprises interacting Ila-hYdIOXY-A-HOI- progesterone with an organic sulfonating agent, such as an organic sulfonyl halide, the reaction preferably being conducted in the presence of a tertiary base, such as pyridine. Particularly preferred among the sulfonating agents are the lower alkane sulfonyl chlorides (e.g. methanesulfonyl chloride and ethanesulfonyl chloride) and p-toluenesulfonyl chloride. The reaction results in the preparation of the new lloz-SlllfOnlC acid ester intermediates of this invention having the general formula wherein R" is preferably a lower alkyl or tolyl radical.

These sulfonic acid ester derivatives are then desulfonated to yield the new intermediate of this invention,

2 A -A-norpregnadiene-Z,20-dione. Among the suitable reactants utilizable in this step of the process of this invention may be mentioned the alkali metal Salts of lower fatty acids (e.g. sodium acetate) in a medium comprising a lower fatty acid (e.g. acetic and propionic acid).

4 -A-norpregnadiene-2,20-dione is then hydroxyhalogenated by treatment with either hydrochlorous or hydrobromous acid, preferably formed in situ by treatment of the diene with either an N bromamide or N- bromimide of a carboxylic acid (e.g. N bromamides of lower alkanoic acids, such as N-bromacetamide, and N- 'bromimides of lower alkanedioic acids, such as N- bromosuccinirnide), dibromodimethylhydantoin, an N- chloramide or N-chlorimide of a carboxylic acid (e.g. N-chloramides of lower alkanoic acids, such as N- chloracetarnide, and N-chlorimides of lower alkanedioic acids, such as N-chlorsuccinimide), or dichlorodimethylhydantoin, in an aqueous medium. The reaction is preferably conducted in an aqueous inert organic solvent, such as an alcohol, ketone or ether in the presence of a. strong acid, such as perchloric acid, to increase the yield of the desired 9a-halo steroid. The reaction results in the preparation of those final products of this invention wherein R is hydrogen, R is B-hydroxy, and X is bromo or chloro.

These 9u-'bromo or chloro compounds are then treated with a basic reagent such as an alkali metal salt of a weak acid (e.g. an alkali metal salt of a lower fatty acid, such as an alkali metal acetate, or an alkali metal carbonate or bicarbonate, such as potassium carbonate) to form the new intermediate of this invention, A -A- nonpregnene-9,6,11,B-oxido-2,20-dione of the structural formula EXAMPLE 1 11 u-hydroxy-A-n0rprogesterone 11 a-m esylate (a) FERMENTATION A medium of the following composition is prepared: Corn steep liquor g 36 Brown sugar g 10 NaNO g 6 KH2PO4 g 1.5 MgSO -7H O g 0.5 ZnSO, (1% aqueous solution) cc 0.1 OaCO g 5 Lard oil 3 2 Distilled water to make one liter.

50 ml. portions of the medium are distributed in each of five 250 ml. Erlenmeyer flasks and the flasks plugged .matographed on 7 g. of acid-Washed alumina.

. 1 1 a-hydroxy-A-norprogesterone.

. V. CzoHggOgi :Found: C,'75. 81; H, 8.92. V

with cotton and sterilized by autoclaving for 40 minutes at 120. When cool, each of the flasks is inoculated with one loop of grown wheat grain containing Asper- -giflrzm nidularrs .(ATCCE1-1267), prepared .:as described hereinafter." Thefiasks :are'iuechanically shaken for 120' hours on a rotary shaker (280 cycles7minute2 inch radius) in amOm maintained at 25 after which time 10% transfers (by volume) are. made to thirty-seven 250 ml. Erlenmeyer flasks (sterilized as described above),

Distilled 'water .to make one liter.

' Steam-sterilized for thirty minutes at p.s.i.-g. and neu tralized'to pH 7.0 with sodium hydroxide solution.

Immediately after inoculation, to each of the second series of flasks is added 0.25 ml. of a mg /ml. solution of A-norprogesterone in N,N-dimethylformamide. These flasks are then incubated under the same conditions as used for the first series of flasks for 24 hours, after which "the contents of theflasks are pooled and filtered by suction through Seitz clarifying pads. [Theinoculum used "is grown from stock cultures of Aspergillzrs nz'd ulans (ATCC 11267) for three months in a medium of the following composition: wheat, 10 g. and distilled water,

i (b) ISOLATION OF Ila-HYDROXY- JLNORPBOGES- TERONE I The aqueous. filtrate obtained in step a (1972 ml.) is extracted four times with 250 ml. portions of chloroform.

, The combined chloroform extracts are washed with' 4 1 EXAMPLE .2

A -A-norpregnadiene-2,2O-dion'e A solution of 1.00 g. of llahydroxy-A-norprogesterone lla-mesylate, 40 ml. of propionic acid, and 3.0 g. of sodium acetate is heated under reflux for four hours and then one-half of the propionic acid is removed by distillation in ,vacuo. The resulting solution is diluted with water, washed free of propionic acid with 5% sodium carbonate solution',.washed again with water, dried over sodium sulfate, and concentrated to dryness. The resulting crystalline residue (about 836 mgs.) is freed of pigmented impurities by filtering this material dissolved in benzene through a short column of acidwashed alumina; The material obtained by evaporating the filtrate crystallizes from hexane to yield about 648 mg. of colorless diene, MP. about 154-156", [al 101.5 (chloroform).

EXAMPLE 3 Qa-bromo-l1fi-hydroxy-A-norprogesterone i A -A-norpregnadiene-LZO-dione (648 mg.) isdissolved in 25 ml. of dioXane, diluted with 15 ml. of 0.1

N perchloric acid and the resulting solution treated with 565 mg. of N-bromoacetamide. This solution is allowed to stand'in the dark for minutes, treated with a few drops of aqueous sodium sulfite, diluted with Water and extracted with chloroform; The combined chloroform extracts are washed with Water, saturated sodium chloride solution, dried over sodium sulfate, and concentrated to dryness leaving about 834 mg. of crude crystalline product. Recrystallization from methylene chloride-ether gives about 601 mg. of pure 9a-bromo-1113-hydroxy-A- water, dried over sodium sulfate and evaporated to dryness under vacuum leaving a residue weighing about 197 mg. The residue is dissolved in benzene and chro- Elution of the column with benzene gives first about .11 mg. of

6fi-hydroxy A-norprogesterone, M.P. about 217-219.

Further elution with -100% chloroform-benzene gives ethyl acetate-hexane gives about mg. of the product,

(c) PREPARATION or ua-rrrnnoxr-s-uonnnoons V TEBONE Ila-MESYLATE Recrystallization from c, 75.91; H, 8.92. V

V 910 mg. of".1*1d hydroity-A noi progesterone is dis-i solved in 16 ml. ofanhydrous pyridine.

hours. Ice is'then added andthe mixture extracted with 7 The solution- 7 is cooled to 0 treated with 0.78 ml. of methanesul-fonyl chloride and allowed to stand in the refrigerator" for .16

trated toldifynesss Thjeresidue is recrystallized from ethanohwaten to about] I01 g. of lla-hyd-roity-A- oroform) tly. by

V lzeth nes l fonyljchloride and p -tolueiiesulfonyl chloride for'the methanesulfonyl i chloride in the p r ocedure of Example 1, step c, the llu-ethanesulfonic acid ester and bs tituting an equivalent amount of norprogestrone MP. about 157-158"; [Q1]D+1O5 (chloroform).

chloroacetamide for the N-bromoacetamide in the procedure of Example 3, 9oc-Cl1l0r0-1 lp hydroxy-A-norprogesterone isformed;

EXAMPLE 4 A -iwrpregrrene-9dl'1 B-OXid ZZO-di 'I Le A: solution of 579 mggof 9d-br0mo-11fl-hydroXy-A- norprogesterone in ml. of methanol and 7.2 -ml. of ,-10% potassium carbonate is allowed to stand atroom temperature for two hours. I An equal volume of water is ,then added and the methanol removed in vacuo. As the methanol is removed about 338 mg. of the A -Anorpregnene-9fi,-1lfi-oxido 2,20 dione crystallizes in colorless needles, Ml. about 123-124, [aim-{ 67 (chloroform).

I EXAMPLE 5 of liquid hydrogen fluoride. The mixture is allowed to stand at. 4'' for five hours andthen added slowly to a a stirred mixture of100 ml. of saturated'sodium bicarbonate solution and 50 ml. of chloroform; The layers are separated and the chloroform extract Washed with water, dried over sodium sulfate, and concentrated to dryness. The product is recrystallized from ether to give colorlem needies, about 46 mg., M.P. about 213- 214 [a] +12l (chloroform). Q

' EXAMPLE 6 7 7 V 9a-chloro-1 1 ,d-hydroxy-A morpmgesterone To a solution of 62 mg. of A :A-norpregnene-9fl,l1[3- oxido-2,2 0-dione in 3.0 mllof chloroform is added at' 0,

"0.5 mi. of 0.5 N hydrogen chloride in chloroform. The solution is allowed to stand at room temperature for one hour, and then extracted with dilute sodium bicarbonate solution. The chloroform solution is washed with water, dried over sodium sulfate and the solvent removed in vacuo. The resulting 9a-chloro-1lfi-hydroxy-A-norprogesterone is recrystallized from ether.

In a similar manner, by substituting an equivalent amount of hydrogen bromide and hydrogen iodide for the hydrogen chloride in the procedure of Example 6, 9u-bromo-11fi-hydroxy-A-norprogesterone and 9a-l0d0- 11fl-hydroxy-A-norprogesterone are formed, respectively.

To a solution of 9a-fluoro-llp-hydroxy-A-norprogesterone (50 mgs.) in 5 ml. of glacial acetic acid is added at room temperature an equvalent amount of chromic acid in acetic acid (2 ml). After 30 minutes a little alcohol is added and the mixture concentrated. The residue is taken up in chloroform and the chloroform solution is washed with Water, dried over sodium sulfate and concentrated to dryness. The residue of 9afiuoro-ll-keto-A-norprogesteroue is then recrystallized from ether.

Similarly, by substituting an equivalent amount of 9achloro-l1B-hydroXy-A-norprogesterone, 9a bromo-l 1B- hydroxy-A-norprogesterone, and 9a-iOdO-11fi-hYClIOXY-A- norprogesterone for the 9a-fluoro-llfl-hydroxy-A-norprogesterone in the procedure of Example 7, 90c-Chl01'0- 1l-keto-A-norprogesterone, 9a bromo-l l-keto A norprogesterone and 9aiodo-ll-keto-A-norprogesterone are obtained respectively.

The invention may be variously otherwise embodied within the scope of the appended claims.

6 What is claimed is: 1. A compound of the general formula C Ha X CJ wherein R is hydrogen, R is fi-hydroxy and together R and R is keto, and X is halogen.

2. 9a-bromo-11fl-hydroxy-A-norprogesterone.

3. 9a-fiuoro-11fi-hydroXy-A horprogesterone.

4. 9a-fluoro-1'1-keto-A-norprogesterone.

5. An ester of 11a-hydroxy-A-norprogesterone with an organic s-ulfonic acid selected from the group consisting of lower alkanesulfonic acids and p-toluenesulfom'c acid.

6. 1 1a-hydroxy-A-norprogesterone lla-mesylate.

7. A -A-norpregnadiene-2,20-dione.

9. 9a-chloro-11fl-hydroxy-A-norprogesterone References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,760,980 Meyer et a1. Aug. 28, 1956 2,786,837 Farrar et a1. Mar. 26, 1957 2,822,380 Clinton Feb. 4, 1958 2,822,381 Dodson et a1. Feb. 4, 1958 2,835,698 Magerlein et a1. May 20, 1958 2,902,495 Webb Sept. 1, 1959 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATION OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,950,289 August 23, 196C Frank L. Weisenborn It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 1, lines 58 to 68, the formula should appear as shown below instead of as in the patent: CH

column 4, line 43, Exgmple 4, for "A -norpregnene9g l1B-0xido- 2,20-dione" read A ANorpregnene-9 llg-oxido2,20-dione Signed and sealed this 9th day of May 1961.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER DAVID L. LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patent 

1. A COMPOUND OF THE GENERAL FORMULA 